Nonfiction Craft Lessons: Teaching Information Writing K-8 Review
I'm a relatively new teacher, and have switched grade levels every year. Teaching writing has been one of the biggest challenges for me. I believe in a writing workshop model, and use a lot of 6 Traits ideas. I knew that both relied on the idea of the writing "mini-lesson" but I really didn't know what those should look like or what kinds of topics they should cover. This book has been a godsend. I disagree with those who say that this book is too rigid. Yes, each lesson identifies particular literature resources which can be used. If you have that book, that's awesome. If not, just adapt the lesson for use with a different book that illustrates the same concept. The point is, these are concise 15 minute mini-lessons that really help your students recognize writing craft, and give them accessible ideas which they can use to improve their own writing.
And, incidentally, if you're building up your classroom library, your school library, or your bookroom, the literature selections that ARE mentioned in this book are uniformly fabulous. I carry a copy of the list of books used in these lessons each time I go to a used book store.
Writing nonfiction represents a big step for most students. Most young writers are not intimidated by personal narrative, fiction, or even poetry, but when they try to put together a "teaching book," report, or persuasive essay, they often feel anxious and frustrated.
JoAnn Portalupi and Ralph Fletcher believe that young nonfiction writers supply plenty of passion, keen interest, and wonder. Teachers can provide concrete strategies to help students scaffold their ideas as they write in his challenging genre.
Like the authors' best-selling Craft Lessons: Teaching Writing K-8, this book is divided into sections for K-2, 3-4, and middle school (grades 5-8) students. These divisions reflect various differences between emerging, competent, and fluent writers. In each section you'll find a generous collection of craft lessons directed at the genre that's most appropriate for that particular age. In the K-2 section, for example, a number of craft lessons focus on the all-about or concept book. In the 3-4 section there are several lessons on biography. In the 5-8 section a series of lessons addresses expository writing. Throughout the book each of the 80 lessons is presented on a single page in an easy-to-read format.
Every lesson features three teaching guidelines:
- Discussion--A brief look at the reasons for teaching the particular element of craft specifically in a nonfiction context.
- How to Teach It--Concrete language showing exactly how a teacher might bring this craft element to students in writing conferences or a small-group setting.
- Resource Material--Specific book or text referred to in the craft lesson including trade books, or a piece of student writing in the Appendixes.
This book will help students breathe voice into lifeless "dump-truck" writing and improve their nonfiction writing by making it clearer, more authoritative, and more organized. Nonfiction Craft Lessons gives teachers a wealth of practical strategies to help students grow into strong writers as they explore and explain the world around them.
Be sure to look at the When Students Write videotapes too.
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Customer Reviews
Great book for educators! - Me3042 - Indiana
A great resource book for any educator that teaches writing. It has so many wonderful ideas for mini-lessons. I couldn't teach without it!
Finally! - K. Cochran-gross - Tonawanda, NY USA
Thank the Heavens for this book! This is my ninth year teaching special education students in a self-contained middle school class and for the first time the clouds have parted and I can see my way to teach writing. The lessons are specific enough to teach skills yet easily adaptable to a teacher's own style and favorite non-fiction literature. I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! A great, inexpensive resource that I will turn to again and again. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Jul 07, 2010 12:00:07
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